Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Research Questions for Novel

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Topper
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Posted: 5/09/06 at 1:45pm

Again, there are typically no FORMAL warm-ups called for or conducted by the SM. It is not unusual for informal groups to sprout up and help each other with bending, stretching, etc.

My favorite warm-up story involves a seasoned singer who had a pitch-perfect voice. It was twenty minutes before the house opened. The company was scattered throughout the theater, each doing their own pre-show rituals as he walked onto the empty stage of this magnificent, old vaudeville playhouse (approx 1100 seats).

He inhaled, paused, and let fly a note -- a clear, resonant, bell-like tone that reverberated off the art-deco plasterwork and sent tingling vibrations through the skin of anybody within earshot. It was a stunning thing of vocal mastery and beauty.

As the tone echoed into silence, he nodded satisfied to himself and walked off to the wings where I was standing, watching. I said to him, "is that your entire vocal warm-up?"

"Man," he said, lighting up a cigarette, "if that one works, then they ALL do."

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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Gaafa
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Posted: 5/10/06 at 4:03am

Originally posted by Bonnied

Sounds like the tech aspect can be a real hassle, not to mention sometimes dangerous. (No 'bump in'. 'Load in,' got it.)

We are separated by a common language - even in theatre!
When it comes down to their techies showing!
we do tend to differ between the Pohms & the Yanks.

However these days it has become easier to transmit complete production requirements & plots, from one venue to the next. With may be just a slight tweaking here & there, during the cue to cue tech run, in order to achieve the desired mise en scene result.

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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Bonnied
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Posted: 5/11/06 at 12:58pm

Say a company member was pulled over and given a DUI. In addition to paying a court fine, would that person be put on some kind of probationary status by the production? Or is it like any other job where what you do when you're not on company time is none of their business as long as it doesn't directly impact your performance? Would the person at least receive a reprimand or have dialogue with the SM?

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Joan54
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Posted: 5/11/06 at 1:26pm

I have worked with theater groups where, I swear, it seemed that the after rehearsal drinking was main reason to be in the cast....the parties were legend. On the other hand I have worked with groups that frowned on such behavior. Personally I don't like working with drunks but enjoy a couple of cold ones after (not during) work. There may be theater companies that would put a DUI recepient on probation but I have never seen it happen. Maybe if they were drunk on stage but even then they seem to be pretty tolerant of lubricated behavior.

"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

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Shatcher
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Posted: 5/11/06 at 3:30pm

this is something that would be stated in your contract. I have seen tour contracts that include a line about after hours conduct, I don't think there would be any reprimand unless it affected the show (actor missing curtian ect) I am sure drunk on stage would be a problem. I have seen it happen, it is never good.

this is a fun thread... any more ?'s

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Topper
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Posted: 5/11/06 at 4:20pm

The only person(s) I can imagine being reprimanded for receiving a DUI would be any one of the drivers assigned to command the tour bus or one of the scenery trucks.

The Bus Driver would be on the payroll of the company from which the vehicle was rented and I'm sure his boss would have something to say about it. The Driver(s) of the other trucks might be independent contractors or they might be members of the stage crew who have the right class of license. In either case they would be directly answerable to the Producer.

And the only reason the producer would care is a DUI on their record would most likely raise his out-of-pocket insurance costs. (The safety of the other people on the tour might be a smaller factor.) Repeated infractions would be dealt with no doubt by the Producer, CM or SM if it affected the quality of the show.

"Minute I enter a stage door the bottle gets put away ... until intermission."

Gay Wellington You Can't Take it With You.

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Bonnied
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Posted: 5/12/06 at 10:18am

Originally posted by Shatcher

this is a fun thread... any more ?'s

Not unless you know stuff about drugs. That would be highly helpful. One of my storylines concerns a sweet-natured, naive, young actress, unseasoned, youngest cast member, first extended time away from home, nervous about her performance after being given such a huge opportunity, you get the picture. She falls under the influence of someone who uses drugs recreationally, nothing too heavy, maybe some pot and perscription drugs. He's trying to be helpful giving her something to knock the edge off her nerves, but she slowly becomes addicted. Not like climbing the walls and hallucinating addicted, but dependent. The point of her character arc is about a basically confident young person losing her way and the solid sense of self she had before she began the journey. She is tempered and introspective by the time she reaches the other side.

This has been the most troublesome of the three storylines. The others are charted out and complete in my head, but I don't know what kind of drugs to give Gretchen that would do what I intend, soothe her nerves but not mess up her performance--at least not until she eventually starts unraveling. And I'm still waffling on the catalyst for that. Thinking of the boyfriend/supplier getting a DUI, maybe even caught with drugs in possession, which takes him out of the picture leaving her adrift.

I was thinking of some kind of prescription tranquilizer, but that would make a person act muzzy and out of it. Any good drug ideas? Coke? I'd stick with alcohol, but it has to be something she can only receive from this person. It's all tied up in their rather unhealthy, co-dependent relationship.

The other stories, btw, are a great deal more upbeat, although they have their issues too or they wouldn't make for an interesting story.

So, anybody have any drug ideas? I don't know diddly about them.

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Joan54
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Posted: 5/12/06 at 12:07pm

Here we go with my 2 cents worth. I have a family member who is bi-polar so I have a lot of experience with perscription sedatives and stimulants. Prozac is used frequently to treat depression but it can have a serious side effect (particularly in bi polar patients) in that it can cause bouts of hyperactive behaviour and panic attacks. A person who is over-medicated on anti-depresion medication will often suffer from insomnia which leads to the use of sedatives. The one I am most familiar with is Trazadone. This will slur the speech and make the person very "stupid"...driving through red lights etc. All of these drugs are addictive and all of them are available on the street. You could have your character bouncing between up and down.

Another idea is the over use of presciption painkillers. In the course of treating my daughter I have come into contact with a lot of other familes and it seems that there are a lot of young people out there who started out with a broken leg or surgery and legal painkillers and then quickly graduated to "street" drugs cause it "felt soo good".

Hope this helps.....

"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"

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castMe
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Posted: 5/12/06 at 8:44pm

Not unless you know stuff about drugs.

What makes you think theater people may know about drugs?

LOL

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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Bonnied
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Posted: 5/15/06 at 12:27pm

Thanks Joan for the drug input, and everyone else for all information. I'm going to a writer's conference for most of the week and will resume my project after. I'm sure more questions will come to me before I'm through.

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Topic: Research Questions for Novel( Topic Closed)
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